Carton for concentrated detergent

ABSTRACT

An improved carton for superconcentrated detergent products. The carton includes front, rear and side panels and a cover. In one embodiment, the carton includes a liner which may be separate from the carton or integrated with the carton. The carton walls of the liner may include barrier materials. A hinge formed from perforated lines and score lines may be provided for the cover on the rear panel.

This is a continuation application of Ser. No. 07/459,015, filed Dec.29, 1989, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Powdered laundry detergents have often been made by simply spray dryingan aqueous slurry of the ingredients and adding to the spray driedpowder any required additional ingredients such as heat sensitivebleaches, bleach precursors, enzymes, etc. The densities of powdersresulting from such processes have generally been low. Recently, it hasbeen thought desirable to be able to offer to the consumer a product ofhigher density, i.e., a more concentrated product. Such a product wouldbe expected to have among its advantages the fact that less detergentpowder would be used to effect a comparable amount of cleaning and thatless storage space would be required as a result of its concentratednature.

Changes in the density of detergent powders also require changes in thepackaging of such powders. For instance, the increase in density makesdesirable the use of smaller packages to take advantage of the increasedconcentration of the product. Moreover, smaller packages and theinclusion of handles are desirable due to the increased weight of theproduct.

A previous package for containing detergent powders of higherconcentrations has been sold in one or more foreign countries. Thepackage includes four principal panels, which constitute the four wallsof the carton. The walls are shorter than those of the typical detergentcarton. Attached to the principal panels are the glue flap and variousmajor and minor flaps for closing the top and bottom ends of the carton.Attached to the two side panels of the carton is a handle. The handle isattached by means of a rivet extending through the handle and the sidepanel near each end of the handle. The rivet is received within a slotat each end of the handle. The slots permit the handle to extend acrossthe front of the carton blank during shipping, across the front of theerected carton during storage and display, and across the top of thecarton as a handle during use by the consumer.

An additional desirable feature for such cartons is a tear tape opening.While previous cartons having tear tape openings are known, theygenerally are characterized by certain disadvantages. One known cartonincludes a tear tape functionally extending through three panels of thecarton, a first side panel, the front panel, and a second side panel,leaving the rear panel substantially intact and free to function as ahinge. The tear tape is situated approximately 1/5 of the way down fromthe top of the panels and the aspects above the tear line function as acover.

A disadvantage of the prior tear tape carton is the lack of support forthe cover once the tear tape has been removed. Also, components whichtend to escape upon exposure to the air, such as perfumes, may be lost,and components which are sensitive to moisture may be damaged since thebarrier properties of such cartons are less than optimal.

A further previous carton has included a tear tape spaced from the topand extending completely through all four sides of the carton, so thatthe cover created by the tape can be completely removed. This priorcarton includes a four-sided liner, each wall of which correspondsclosely in dimension to the four panels of the carton. The liner servesto retain the cover on the carton after the tear tape has been pulled.However, the removable cover may be misplaced. Moreover, use of aremovable cover tends to maximize the exposure of the product to the airand moisture and increases the potential for loss of volatilecomponents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved carton particularly forconcentrated (500 to 700 grams/liter) or superconcentrated (700 to 1000grams/liter) detergent products and to a carton containing detergentproducts, particularly concentrated or superconcentrated detergentpowders. In one embodiment, the carton includes a liner which providessupport for the cover. The liner is preferably 3-sided or, morepreferably, 4-sided. The liner may be a separate, e.g., a three or fourpanel, structure or it may be integral with the carton panels. In thelatter case, the carton blank may include 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th panels inadditional to the usual four. The 5th through 8th panels are foldedinwardly and adhesively sealed to one or more of the original fourpanels to form the liner.

In another embodiment, the carton is made of an inside film laminatedpaperboard to provide a barrier against oxygen and moisture. There mayalso be a thin paper sheet laminated to the film side for enhancedadhesive sealing. Where the carton material is film-laminated paperboardto provide a barrier, it is preferred that the liner, if present, not belaminated. In still another embodiment, the liner is laminated to a filmbarrier layer and the carton material is not laminated. Barriercharacteristics may be provided to the carton walls and/or liners inaccordance with the invention by using a barrier board such as "MVTRBoard" instead of by means of lamination. Other advantageous features ofthe cartons according to the invention include perforated lines andscore lines forming a hinge for the cover on the rear panel, extendeddust flaps improving the barrier characteristics of the carton, handleshaving dumbbell- and alternately shaped apertures, optionally withdetents, and rivets located below a tear tape opening.

For a more complete understanding of the above and other features andadvantages of the invention, reference should be made to the followingdetailed description of preferred embodiments and to the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the carton blank used for preparing thecarton of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a flat tubular carton of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross section along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of three cartons according to theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative handle according to theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG. 3 after opening.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an open carton having a four-sidedliner.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a flat tubular carton having thickened scorelines for balancing.

FIG. 9 is a cross section along the lines 9--9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross section along the lines 10--10 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the inside of a carton blank having athree-sided, winged liner riveted thereto.

FIG. 12 is a plan view similar to FIG. 11, except that the spacing wingsare folded into spacing position.

FIG. 13 is top plan view of a flat tubular carton having winged spacers.

FIG. 14 is a cross section through a carton blank and liner havingembossments.

FIG. 15 is a cross section through a carton blank and liner havingopposing debossments.

FIG. 16 is a cross section of a carton blank which is inside-filmlaminated.

FIG. 17 is a cross section of a carton blank associated with a linerwhich is inside-film laminated.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a carton for concentrated detergentsaccording to the invention which does not have a handle.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 20 is a plan view with portions cut away of a preferred handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the carton blank 11 comprises front panel 12, firstand second side panels 16 and 18, respectively, and rear panel 14. Upperand lower minor flaps 20 and 22, respectively extend from side panel 16.Extending from the top and bottom of front panel 12 are upper and loweroutside major flaps 24 and 26, respectively. Similarly, upper and lowerminor flaps 28 and 30 extend from the top and bottom of side panel 18,whereas upper and lower inside major flaps 32 and 34 extend respectivelyfrom the top and bottom of rear panel 14. The minor panels are separatedfrom the upper and lower flaps by score lines 410 and 412, respectively.

Preferably, the minor flaps adjacent the upper aspects of the sidepanels are dimensioned such that when they are folded inward duringerection of the carton, their medial edges 350 are fairly close to eachother. They may meet or almost meet (See FIG. 7) or they may be somewhatseparated (See e.g. FIG. 6). Edges 350 may, for instance, beapproximately one inch apart. Preferably, the combined area of the upperminor flaps is at least 75%, especially, 85%, and particularly 90 to 95%of the area of the larger of the inside or outside major flap. Thisprovides an added barrier against entry of moisture and otherundesirable elements and against loss of product components such asperfumes, particularly when a strip of adhesive is applied parallel toand near medial edge 350. This will also prevent powder from collectingunder the minor flaps and then flying out when the cover is opened.

In the case of the carton of FIGS. 1 and 6, the edges of the minor flapsdo not meet and the combined area of the minor flaps is approximately80% of the outside major flap. For the carton of FIGS. 7, combinedlengths of minor flaps 20 and 28 in the direction perpendicular to thelength of the carton blank is equal or approximately equal to the lengthof major flap 24. In the same way, the lower minor flaps may also bedimensioned so that their edges meet or almost meet when foldedinwardly.

Glue flap 36 extends off of rear panel 14. Adhesive means are applied tothe glue flap at 38 during erection. When the carton is in the flattenedtubular form shown in FIG. 2, adhesive means 38 adheres the frontsurface of glue flap 36 to the side panel.

Attached to side panels 16 and 18 by rivets 40 and 42 is a handle 44.The handle, which takes the form of a strap, is narrow in width and longin length. The handle is preferably flexible and clear, like handle 44,so that any printing on front panel 12 can be seen through the handle.Preferably, the handle slightly magnifies any printing on the frontpanel. Handle 44 includes dumbbell-shaped apertures 46 and 48,respectively at its ends, which accommodate rivets 40 and 42. Eachdumbbell-shaped aperture includes a straight portion 52 connecting twosemicircular end portions, a distal portion 54 and a proximal portion 55(See FIGS. 4 and 20). Proximal portion 55 preferably has top and bottomdetents 420 facing inwardly, which help retain the handle around theshank when the handle is in the shipping position.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a tear tape 50 is provided for opening ofthe carton. The tear tape comprises two generally parallel lines ofperforations 43 in the paperboard and finger tab 41 for grasping by theconsumer. Preferably, the finger tab extends beyond the edge of thecarton for easier access. Instead of perforations, other separationmeans such as cut scores may be employed. The cut scores extendpartially through the paperboard. The tear tape extends from first sidepanel 16 through front panel 12, second side panel 18 and terminatesfunctionally on rear panel 14 by virtue of cut 430. The operation of thetear tape will be described in greater detail below. Advantageously,rivets 40 and 42 are located below the level of tear tape 50 so that thehandle need not move when the cover is opened and closed.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, rivets 40 and 42 extend through handle 44, theside panel to which it is attached, and through optional inside liner56. As discussed below, the inside liner, if present, may be of varyingconfigurations. Three sided liners such as liner 56, and particularlyfour-sided liners, are preferred.

The carton of the invention is fabricated by preparing the carton blankshown in FIG. 1 and erecting the carton. The first step in the erectionof the carton is adhering the front surface of glue flap 36 to the rearsurface of side panel 16 to obtain a flat, tubular partially erectedstructure such as that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. While the carton of FIG.2 is folded along the score between panels 12 and 18 and at the junctionbetween panels 14 and 16, it may well be desirable to fold it alongscores 438 and 440. After the flat tube is formed, the carton issquared, and the minor flaps and subsequently the inside and outsidemajor flaps respectively, are folded inwardly and adhered to each other.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, handle 44 is fastened to extendacross the front of front panel 12. It is desirable for ease ofmanufacture that the handle can be affixed to the carton prior toerection. It can be seen particularly from FIG. 1, that were itattempted to fasten the handle across rear panel 14 instead of frontpanel 12, it would not be possible to do so until the carton is at leastpartially erected by gluing glue flap 36 to side panel 16. Anotheralternative would be to let panel 12 constitute the rear rather than thefront panel of the carton. However, since the right rear corner 58 ofthe erected carton at which the glue flap is bound to the side paneltends to be less attractive than the other corners of the package, itcould detract from the appearance of the package to change the locationof the corner to a front corner to permit the handle to be fastenedacross the rear of the container.

When the handle 44 is clear, it is possible to fasten the handle acrossthe front panel of the carton without preventing the consumer fromobserving the printing on the front panel. The erected cartons 60 may bedisplayed side-by-side, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Handle 44 extendsacross the face of front panel 12 without obscuring information on thepanel which may attract the consumer to the product or which may beimportant to the consumer in deciding whether to purchase the product.There is no need to perform the extra step of moving the handle from itsoriginal position across the face of the front panel to the top or therear of the carton; moreover, the additional machinery and/or personnelwhich would be required to change the position of the handle aftererection of the carton are unnecessary if the clear handle is used.Since the handle extends across the front of the carton it does notinterfere with vertical stacking of the cartons, if desired.

When the consumer takes the package off the shelf, he/she may pull thehandle forward and upward to change its position so that it extendsacross the top of the carton. When a handle extending across the frontof the carton as shown in FIG. 4 is pulled forward, the rivets on eitherside of the carton leave proximal semicircular portions 55 of apertures46, 48 and initially enter straight and narrow portions 52. Then, theyenter the distal semicircular portions 54 at the other end of theaperture so that the handle is free to pivot therewithin. When therivets are in the distal semicircular portions, the effective length ofthe handle is increased. This permits the handle to be extended over thetop of the carton. Moreover, when extended over the top of the cartonthe handle with enhanced effective length has sufficient slack forconvenient carrying. Thus, while the distal aspects of the semicircularapertures permit the handle to be slack for carrying, the proximalsemicircular aspects of the apertures permit the handle to be stretchedreasonably taut for handling during carton manufacture and shipping asseen respectively in FIGS. 1 and 4. As indicated above, detents 420 maybe used, particularly in proximal aspects 55, to keep the handle inposition.

In an alternate embodiment seen in FIG. 5, the handle 44' includesalternately shaped apertures 46' and 48' each of which includes astraight, narrow portion 52' and rounded, roughly semicircular aspectsat each end. Consistent with the alternate shape of the aperture, one ofthe semicircular ends, 102, faces downward whereas the secondsemicircular end, 104, faces upward. Operation of the carton having thehandle with alternately-shaped apertures is the same as that for thecarton having a handle with dumbbell-shaped apertures. The tangentialplacement of the semicircular ends within the apertures follows thenatural pulling motion required to extend the handle from shipping tocarrying position.

Where the length of the erected carton (i.e., the length of the frontpanel) is B, the width of the carton is A, and the diameter of the rivetshank is C, the following are preferred approximate dimensions for thehandle and rivets:

length of handle: 2A+B

distance between center points of the two distal semicircular ends:

minimum: 1.33A+B; maximum; 2A+B-0.75

distance between center points of the two proximal semicircular ends:A+B+1/8

width of straight and narrow handle portion: 0.9C

distance from top of erected carton to midpoint of rivet: 0.4A

distance from end of side panel to center of rivet: 0.5A

The carton of the invention may be made of any of the materialstypically used for carton manufacture, such as paperboard or plastic. Inaccordance with another aspect of the invention, if it is desired, thecarton blank may be made of, or adhered to, a barrier material. Barriermaterials are useful particularly to inhibit the entry of moisture andoxygen into the carton and to minimize the escape of perfume and anyother volatile ingredients out of the carton. The carton blank maycomprise outside- or inside-film laminated paperboard. The paperboardmay be laminated with, e.g., a film of two-sided acrylic coated orientedpolypropylene, e.g. "420HS" available from the Mobil Oil Corporation, orpolyethylene. Or, the carton blank may comprise a barrier board such as"MVTR Board," or "Super MVTR Board," available from JeffersonSmurfit/Container Corporation of America. "MVTR Board" includes amill-applied chemical barrier treatment as well as barriers applied inthe printing operation. "Super MVTR Board" is a clay coated,chemically-treated paperboard having a high gloss top coating, catalyticor lacquer. A barrier may also be created by polyethylene or otherextrusion coating or via printed coatings. In FIG. 16, carton blank 222is laminated to a barrier film 224 of polypropylene. By barrier is meanta water vapor transmission rate of greater than 0.5 grams of water per100 square inches per 24 hours at 80° F./80% R.H., typically from 0.5 to0.9, especially 0.7 for inside film laminated paperboard. "Super MVTRBoard" has a typical MVTR of 0.8 with a useful range of 0.7 to 1.2.

The rivets of the carton of the invention are made of metal or plastic,preferably metal. The flexible clear or opaque handle is made,preferably by extrusion, of ethylene vinyl acetate (typically 93% lowdensity polyethylene and 7% vinyl acetate), styrene-ethylene/butylenestyrene (e.g., Shell's Kraton, a high clarity thermoplastic elastomer),polyvinyl chloride or other plastic or other materials suitable forproviding the durability required of a handle. In the case of the clearhandle, the material should be clear enough that writing on the cartonis not obscured.

In order to ensure that the handle not obscure writing on the carton, itis preferred that the light transmission, as measured for a 1.00 mmthick handle, range from 50% to 100%, preferably 60% to 99%, morepreferably 75% to 99%, and especially from 85% to 95%. Typical lighttransmission values for the materials mentioned above for a 1.00 mmthick handle are 84% for polyvinyl chloride, 91% for ethylene vinylacetate and 99% for Shell's Kraton.

In an advantageous embodiment, the handle of the invention is made of amaterial which magnifies the printing on the carton. This can beachieved by selecting a curved surface for the outer face of the handle.The flat inner face helps keep the handle snugger to the carton. Thehandle may also be made with high clarity pigmented material. Apigmented handle may be used to alter the appearance of that portion ofthe front panel which is viewed through the handle.

As indicated above, the carton of the invention may be provided withtear tape 50, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, for easy opening. Pulling onthe tear tape separates the portions of the carton above the tear tapefrom those below the tear tape, thereby opening the carton, as can beseen in, e.g., FIG. 6. If desired, a small plastic filament or othercord may be adhered to the inside of the tear tape intermediate the cutscores or perforated lines to enhance tearability. The filament may beimpregnated with hot melt for hot sealing. The tear tape preferablyextends functionally across substantial portions of only three panels ofthe carton, side panel 16, front panel 12 and side panel 18. Since thetear tape does not extend across substantial portions of rear panel 14,the upper portions of the erected carton, which serve as a cover, remainassociated with the lower portions at the rear panel, which serves as ahinge. Thus, once the tear tape is pulled thereby separating upper andlower aspects of the carton on three sides, the upper aspects can beleft in the closed position or can be lifted into the open positionremaining associated with the lower aspects only at the rear panel. Inthat open position, the consumer has access to the product and may lowerthe upper aspects of the carton back into closed position when desired.

In accordance with the invention, the role of the rear panel as a hingeis facilitated by the addition of hinge means thereto. As seen in FIG.1, rear panel 14 includes two hinge means, perforations 140 and scoreline 142, both of which extend along the same line as the uppermost ofthe tear tape cut score or perforations 43. The illustrated hinge meansacts as a deadfold hinge in that it keeps the open cover in the openposition until the consumer closes the cover.

As seen in FIG. 1, score lien 142 is spaced from both the top and bottomclosure flaps and is in the same plane as the tear tape.

As mentioned above, the carton may be provided with liners of variousconfigurations. Three sided liner 56 can be best seen in FIG. 6. Liner56 comprises a first side panel 108, a front panel 110 separated fromside panel 108 by score line 109, and a second side panel 112 separatedfrom panel 110 by score line 111. The liner serves to reinforce thestructure of the carton and enhance its barrier properties. It can beseen in FIG. 6 that liner 56 provides a wall upon which cover 114 of thecarton can rest when it is in the closed position. Liner 56 minimizesthe exposure of the contents which would otherwise result from the gapbetween the bottom edge 360 of the cover and the top edge 362 of thepanels which result from the removal of the tear tape. The dimensions ofthe panels of the liner are preferably only slightly smaller than thoseof the corresponding panels of the carton (prior to opening the carton),so that the liner can fit snugly within the carton with the liner panelsadjacent the corresponding carton panels. In order to close thecontainer more effectively in one embodiment, the liner may be somewhatlarger than the height of the carton and be scored on its top edge sothat when the cover is closed the liner folds for more intimate contactwith the cover. This is particularly beneficial for liners havingbarrier properties.

The liners according to the invention are preferably clay coated and thetop portion is printed, at least on the side facing the consumer whenthe carton is open, so as not to detract from the appearance of thepackage. The printing may, for instance, match that of the outside ofthe carton.

The liners for the cartons of the invention may be fabricated ofpaperboard. Alternatively, the liners may be made of a plastic materialsuch as polypropylene. Plastic liners may be thermoformed.

Particularly preferred are four-sided liners having sides adjacent eachof the sides of the carton, as seen in FIG. 7. Four sided liner 116includes a first side panel 118, a front panel 120 separated from panel118 by score line 119, a second side panel 122 separated from panel 120by score line 121, and a rear wall 124 separated from panel 122 by scoreline 123 and from side panel 118 by score line 125. Rear wall 124 ispreferably formed by the overlap of panels 126 and 128 as at 130 in FIG.7. With this arrangement, the extra thickness at overlap 130 helpsbalance the carton when it is in the flat, tubular form shown in FIG. 2.Absent balancing means, when partially erected cartons in that form arestacked, the rivets and the handle tend to create a localized increasein thickness which results in an imbalance which will cause the stack totopple over. Advantageously, the overlap where the liner is adhered toitself to create a closed rectangle is situated so as to relieve theimbalance created by the rivets and the handle. It is preferred that theoverlap be situated in the middle third of the rear wall, particularlyto the right of the midline of the rear wall, as illustrated in FIG. 7.It is especially preferred that the overlap be located between 50 and85% of the length of the rear panel, especially between 60 and 75% ofits length.

As indicated above, the carton blank may be made of a barrier materialor provided with a barrier layer. As an additional or alternate feature,the liner may be constituted of or provided with a barrier material.Thus, the liner may be provided with an outside or inside filmlamination of a film such as two-sided acrylic-coated orientedpolypropylene (Mobil's 420 HS) or polyethylene. FIG. 17 illustrates apaperboard carton blank 226 to which a liner 228 has been riveted(rivets not shown). Liner 228 has a barrier layer 230 adhered thereto.Alternatively, the liner may be comprised of "Super MVTR Board" oranother board having barrier properties. The barrier may also be apolyethylene or other extrusion coating or a printed coating. It will beappreciated that either the carton blank or the liner or both may becomprised of or have adhered thereto a barrier material.

An additional solution to the balancing problem discussed above isillustrated in FIGS. 8 through 10, which illustrate a balancing meansintegral with the carton blank. In FIG. 8, portion 160 of score line 159is thickened relative to the rest of the line, namely, portions 162 and164. If the fold line is a 3-point rule score, then the thickenedportion could be a 6-point rule score. The extra thick score tends tobalance, at least partially, the rivets and the handle when theflattened, tubular cartons are stacked, whereas the regular score linesabove and below the thickened score line contribute to sharper foldingof the carton. Side 157 is thickened by virtue of the glue flap. Whenthe tube is formed by folding along the two scores other than score 159,then it will generally be desirable to thicken both scores.

Integral balancing means may be used on the liner as well as the cartonblank. FIGS. 11-13 illustrate one type of balancing means integral withthe liner. In FIG. 13, a three-sided liner 56' overlies and is rivetedto the inside of carton blank 11'. The liner comprises side panel 108'adjacent front panel 110', which in turn is adjacent side panel 112'.Integral wings 115' and 117' extend from side panels 108' and 112'respectively. In operation, the wings are folded back over therespective side panels from which they depend, as seen in FIG. 12. Oncethe carton has been partially erected by adhering glue flap 36 to sidepanel 16 and folded into a flattened tube as seen in FIG. 13, the foldedback winged spacers 115' and 117' assist in balancing the thickness ofthe rivets and the handle, so that the partially erected cartons can bestacked with minimal imbalance.

A further alternate form of integral spacer is an embossment of eitherthe liner or the carton itself or both. As seen in FIG. 14, liner 210and carton board 211 include embossments 212 and 213 which results in aneffective thickening of the liner at that location. The embossment orembossments are situated in the liner and/or the carton blank in such alocation that it partially or fully balances the thickness in thepartially erected carton attributable to the rivets and the handle. Inthis way, uneven stacking of the cartons is prevented or minimized.Suitable locations for the embossments include those illustrated for thefolded wings in FIG. 13.

The stackability of partially erected cartons may also be addressed bythe use of debossments in the liner or the carton blank or both,particularly the carton blank. FIG. 15 illustrates a carton blank 216upon which a debossment 218 has been imposed and a liner 219 upon whichdebossment 221 has been imposed. The debossment may be situated belowthe rivets and handle and would hereby balance their extra thicknesses.Liners fabricated from plastic materials such as polypropylene areparticularly suitable where debossments are to be used since debossmentscan be formed more deeply onto plastic materials than paperboard.

The extra thickness provided by the previously discussed balancingsolution may desirably be within the range of 0.08 to 0.25, preferably0.1 to 0.25 inch thickness.

It may be desired to omit the handle in certain cartons, particularlycartons of a small size. Such a carton 415 is illustrated in FIG. 18.The carton is identical to cartons heretofore illustrated and describedexcept that it lacks the handle and rivets. The use of a handle- andrivet-free carton can be advantageous, particularly in that there is noneed for the balancing means described above. However, the handle-freecarton does benefit from the other features of the invention includingthe three and four-sided liners, the long dust flaps, the inside- oroutside- film lamination of the carton board or use of barrier cartonboard, the alternate and/or additional use of barrier-laminated linersor barrier materials for liners and/or the hinge comprising perforatedand/or scored lines as hereinbefore described with the carton includinghandles and rivets.

The carton of the invention is advantageously used to contain powdereddetergent, preferably concentrated or superconcentrated detergents.Preferred densities for such detergents include 500 to 700 grams perliter for concentrated and, especially 700 to 1000 grams/liter forsuperconcentrated. Preferably a scoop is enclosed within the detergentcarton to assist the consumer in dispensing the product.

FIG. 19 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention. Carton 310is constructed similarly to the cartons previously described except thatthe hinge is on one of the narrow panels instead of one of the broaderpanels. Carton 310 comprises first side panel 316, front panel 312,second side panel 318 and rear panel 314. The carton is formed byadhering a glue flap (not shown) appended to rear panel 314 to firstside panel 316 and then folding inwardly and adhering together thevarious upper and lower major and minor flaps to produce a fully erectedcarton.

Carton 310 is provided with a tear tape like the one shown above forseparating the cover 319 from the body 321 of the carton. The tear tapecomprises a pair of perforated or cut scored, generally parallel linesin the carton board which extend at least from front panel 312 throughfirst side panel 318 to rear panel 314. Portions of the tear tape may bepresent on first side panel 316, as well, although most of panel 316 isleft intact to permit it to serve as a hinge. A narrow cord or plasticfilament can be adhered to the tear tape intermediate the parallel cutscores or perforations to facilitate separation of the tear tape, butthe tear tape filament is cut to leave most of the first side panelintact. Carton 310 includes a four-sided, full height liner. Each of thefour panels of the liner is just slightly smaller than the correspondingpanel of the carton so that the liner can be accommodated within theclosed carton. First side panel 316 includes perforations 340 and scoreline 342 in the same plane as bottom edge 325 of the cover to enablefirst side panel 316 to function as a hinge.

As in the case of previous embodiments, the liner for carton 310 may bethree or four-sided and serves to enhance the closability of the cartonand improve barrier features. The carton and/or the liner may beinside-or outside-film laminated to provide barrier properties; or, abarrier material such as "Super MVTR Board" may be used as the cartonblank and/or the liner. The embodiment of FIG. 19 may be used in variousdimensions, such as those used for standard powdered detergent cartons.

As mentioned earlier, the embodiment of FIG. 19 permits the consumer todispense product from the carton more or less in the manner of astandard detergent carton by grasping a narrow edge of the carton andpouring. Yet, the carton does not include the difficult-to-useperforated opening which is often present. Nor does it employ theenvironmentally less desirable plastic fitments which have recentlyappeared in the market.

It should be understood, of course, the the specific forms of theinvention herein illustrated and described are intended to berepresentative only as certain changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly,reference should be made to the following appended claims in determiningthe full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A carton comprising a) a first side panel, b) afront panel adjacent thereto, c) a second side panel adjacent to saidfront panel and opposite said first side panel, d) a rear panel betweensaid first and second side panels, e) bottom closure flaps, f) topclosure flaps, g) a tear tape within at least three of said panelssuitable for separating portions of at least said first and second sidepanel and said front panel from each other and extending at least fromsaid first side panel through said front panel to said second side panelh) a liner including i) a first side wall having dimensions prior toopening the tear tape substantially the same as said first side panel,ii) a front wall having dimensions prior to opening the tear tapesubstantially the same as said front panel, iii) a second side walladjacent said front wall and opposite said first side wall and havingdimensions prior to opening the tear tape substantially the same as saidsecond side panel, and iv) a rear wall having dimensions prior toopening the tear tape substantially the same as said rear panel, saidtear tape not traversing the entire rear panel whereby said rear panelacts as a hinge when said tear tape is removed from said first andsecond side panels and said front panel and a flexible handle extendingfrom said first side panel to said second side panel, said handle havingtwo ends and being attached at said ends by rivets which extend throughsaid side panels and said liner.
 2. The carton of claim 1 wherein saidliner comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge and wherein said rearwall of said liner comprises a glue flap wherein said leading andtrailing edges of said liner overlap.
 3. The carton of claim 2 whereinsaid rear wall comprises three equal longitudinally extending areascomprising a middle and two side areas, said overlap occurring withinthe middle longitudinally extending area of said rear wall.
 4. Thecarton of claim 3 wherein said rear wall intersects said first andsecond side walls at a first and second intersecting corner,respectively and said rear wall comprises a midline parallel to andequidistant from said first and second intersecting corners, saidoverlap occurring substantially at the midline of said rear wall.
 5. Thecarton of claim 1 wherein said tear tape has an upper edge and a loweredge and said liner extends above a line defined by the lower edge ofsaid tear tape.
 6. The carton of claim 1 wherein said liner isadhesively attached to at least one of said panels.
 7. The carton ofclaim 1 containing a powder having a density of from 500 to 1000grams/liter.
 8. The carton of claim 7 wherein said powder is detergentpowder.
 9. The carton of claim 1 further comprising hinge meansincluding a perforated line on said rear panel.
 10. The carton of claim1 wherein said tear tape has an upper edge and a lower edge and whereinsaid carton further comprises hinge means including a score line on saidrear panel extending along the same line as the upper edge of the teartape, the score line being spaced from the top and bottom closure flaps.11. The carton of claim 1 wherein said top closure flaps include a majorflap having sufficient area to close a top end of the carton and at lestone minor flap depending from each side panel wherein the combined areaof said minor flap is at least 75% of the area of said major flap. 12.The carton of claim 1 wherein said liner is integrally formed as a partof a carton blank from which said carton is fabricated.
 13. The cartonof claim 1 further comprising hinge means including a perforated linewithin a score line on said rear panel.
 14. The carton according toclaim 9 wherein said hinge means includes the perforated line within ascore line on said rear panel.
 15. A carton comprising a) a first sidepanel, b) a front panel adjacent thereto, c) a second side paneladjacent to said front panel and opposite said first side panel, d) arear panel between said first and second side panels, e) bottom closureflaps, f) top closure flaps, g) a tear tape extending at least form saidfirst side panel thorugh said front panel to said second side panel,said tear tape not completely functionally traversing the rear panel,whereby said rear panel acts as a hinge when said tear tape is removedfrom said first and second side panels and said front panel, said hingeon said rear panel further comprising a perforated line within a scoreline.
 16. The carton of claim 15 wherein said first and second sidepanels include an inside and an outside and further comprising a linerhaving a) a first side portion abutting the inside of said first sidepanel, b) a second side portion abutting the inside of said second sidepanel and c) a connecting portion connecting said first and second sideportions and abutting one of said front or back panels.
 17. The cartonof claim 16 wherein said tear tape has an upper edge and a lower edgeand said liner extends above a line defined by the lower edge of saidtear tape.
 18. The carton of claim 16 wherein the liner hassubstantially the same dimensions as a carton wall defined by the firstside panel, the second side panel, and one of the panels connecting saidside panels.
 19. The carton of claim 16 further comprising a flexiblehandle having first and second ends and extending from said first sidepanel to said second side panel.
 20. The carton of claim 19 wherein saidhandle is attached at one of its ends to one of said side panels and atthe second of its ends to the second of said side panels and whereinsaid ends of said handle are attached to said side panels by rivetswhich extend through said side panels.
 21. The carton of claim 16wherein said liner is adhesively attached to at least one of saidpanels.
 22. The carton of claim 16 wherein said connecting portioncomprises a front wall contacting said front panel, said liner furthercomprising a rear wall between said two side walls opposite said frontwall and contacting said rear panel.
 23. The carton of claim 22 whereinthe dimensions prior to of the tear tape of said first side wall aresubstantially the same as those of said first side panel, the dimensionsprior to removal of the tear tape of said front wall are substantiallythe same as those of said front panel, the dimensions prior to removalof the tear tape of said second side wall are substantially the same asthose of said second side panel, and the dimensions prior to removal ofthe tear tape of said rear wall are substantially the same as those ofsaid rear panel.
 24. A carton comprising a) a first side panel, b) afront panel adjacent thereto, c) a second side panel adjacent to saidfront panel and opposite said first side panel, d) a rear panel betweensaid first and second side panels, e) bottom closure flaps, f) topclosure flaps, g) a tear tape having an upper edge and a lower edgesuitable for separating portions of the panels from each other andextending at least from said first side panel through said front panelto said second side panel, said tear tape not functionally traversingthe entire rear panel, whereby said rear panel acts as a hinge when saidtear tape is removed from said first and second side panels and saidfront panel, and h) hinge means including a perforated line within ascore line on said rear panel extending along the same line as the upperedge of the tear tape, the score line being spaced from the top andbottom closure flaps.
 25. The carton of claim 24 wherein all of saidpanels are barrier panels.
 26. The carton of claim 25 wherein each ofsaid barrier panels is an inside film laminated panel.
 27. The carton ofclaim 24 further comprising a liner having a first side wall, b) a frontwall having a first side adjacent said first side wall and a second sideopposite said first side, c) a second side wall adjacent said front wallon said second side thereof, and d) a rear wall, said liner not having awater vapor transmission rate of greater than 0.5 grams of water per 100square inches per 24 hours at 80° F./80% R.H.
 28. The carton of claim 24further comprising a flexible handle extending from the first side panelto the second side panel.
 29. The carton of claim 24 wherein said topclosure flaps include a major flap having sufficient area to close a topend of the carton and at least one minor flap depending from each sidepanel wherein the combined area of said minor flap is at least 75% ofthe area of the major flap.
 30. The carton of claim 24 wherein saidhinge means includes a perforated line within the score line on saidrear panel.
 31. A carton comprising a) a first side panel, b) a frontpanel adjacent thereto, c) a second side panel adjacent to said frontpanel and opposite said first side panel, d) a rear panel between saidfirst and second side panels, e) bottom closure flaps, f) top closureflaps, g) a tear tape extending at least from said first side panelthrough said front panel to said second side panel, a flexible handlehaving two ends extending from the first side panel to the second sidepanel, said handle including an aperture including a straight narrowportion and one rounded, semicircular portion at each of said ends, oneof said rounded portions being disposed above said narrow portion andthe other of said rounded portions being disposed below said narrowportion.
 32. The carton of claim 31 wherein said handle is attached tosaid side panels with rivets.
 33. The carton of claim 31 furthercomprising hinge means including a perforated line within a score lineon said rear panel.
 34. The carton of claim 31 further comprising aliner having a first side portion having dimension substantially thesame as said first side panel, b) a front portion having dimensionssubstantially the same as said front panel, c) a second side portionadjacent said front portion and opposite said first side portion andhaving dimensions substantially the same as said second side panel, andd) a rear portion having dimensions substantially the same as said rearpanel.
 35. A flexible handle having two ends having an apertureincluding a straight, narrow portion and one rounded semicircularportion at each of said ends, one of said rounded portions beingdisposed above said narrow portion and the other of said roundedportions being disposed below said narrow portion.
 36. A cartoncomprising a first side panel, a front panel adjacent thereto, a secondside panel adjacent to said front panel and opposite said first sidepanel, a rear panel between said first and second side panels, saidfirst and second side panels each having an inside and an outside,bottom closure flaps, top closure flaps, a tear tape extending at leastform said first side panel through said front panel to said second sidepanel, said tear tape not functionally traversing the entire rear panel,whereby said rear panel acts as a hinge when said tear tape is removedfrom said first and second side panels and said front panel, and furthercomprising a liner having a first side portion abutting the inside ofsaid first side panel, a second side portion abutting the inside of saidsecond side panel and a connecting portion connecting said first andsecond side portions and abutting one of said front or back panels, saidliner having substantially the same dimensions as a carton wall definedby the first side panel, the second side panel, and one of the panelsconnecting said first and second side panels.